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Is Google Glass a threat to privacy and safety? A recent survey seems to suggest exactly that. Google Glass , which remains in the development stage, is a special headset that allows users to access emails, text messages, navigation data, and more. ... The device can also be used to snap pictures and record video, which can then be uploaded to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Currently, Google is testing Google Glass using "explorers" -- or freelance agents who were given an early build of the device in exchange for their feedback on its overall functionality. Privacy, ... (view more)

Facebook has made a major investment in virtual reality technology by purchasing Oculus VR, a virtual reality technology firm for $2 billion US dollars. For the past several years Oculus VR has been developing Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset ... that is said to revolutionize home entertainment. The Oculus Rift was first unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (or "E3") during the summer of 2012. The head-mounted display generated a great deal of interest among the video game community. This interest led Oculus VR to initiate an August 2012 Kickstarter campaign to further ... (view more)

Should you be allowed to use high-tech Google Glass spectacles while driving? It's an ongoing debate, and now Google itself is finally weighing in on the issue. Google Glass is a wearable technology that is connected to the Internet. In essence, ... it's like a hands-free smartphone in the shape of eyeglasses; it allows users to take high-definition (HD) pictures, record HD video, and instantly share recorded content with friends and family using various social Internet platforms, such as Google+, Facebook, and similar. Among many other features, Google Glass also includes the ability for the ... (view more)

A new report from The Wall Street Journal suggests Microsoft is working on its very own version of Google Glass, the high-tech, Internet-connected spectacles. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says it has learned from sources inside Microsoft that the ... firm has been discussing such technology with "several" component manufacturers in Asia. These companies are reportedly being asked to supply Microsoft with cameras and other parts as the Redmond, Washington-based firm works towards completing a prototype. Microsoft Afraid of Being Left Behind: Source However, the report provides a couple ... (view more)

Norwegian firm Elliptic Labs is employing ultrasound technology to improve existing gesture controls. As with medical ultrasound scans, the gadget sends out soundwaves at frequencies humans cannot hear. The device then measures how long these ... soundwaves -- which are affected by the position and distance of any objects in the way -- take to return. This allows it to track any movements, such as somebody gesturing with a wave or a swipe of the hand. Sound Allows Easier Control Than Light Samsung uses a similar gesture control system with its Galaxy S4 smartphone, but that works through infrared ... (view more)

Fingerprint scanners, like the one included with Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S, present us with a convenient way to secure our smartphones. But there may be another way to protect your favorite touchscreen device. Illinois Institute of Technology ... researcher Cheng Bo recently unveiled 'SilentSense', a technology that uses a touchscreen smartphone's built-in sensors to identify you. Simply put, SilentSense uses these sensors to learn how you use your touchscreen device. That means it carefully measures pressure patterns, touch duration, and even fingertip size and position to determine if the user ... (view more)

New rumors suggest Microsoft is planning to develop its own touchscreen watch employing the 'Surface' brand used by the firm's first tablet computer . The watch would reportedly use a modified version of Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), ... Windows 8. The first rumors about a Microsoft smartwatch emerged earlier this year when The Wall Street Journal reported that the Redmond, Washington-based firm was working with Asian electronics suppliers to secure components for such a device. Surface Watch to Use Extremely Durable Materials Now, technology blog The Verge says it has learned that ... (view more)

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently said his company's Google Glass technology is still a year away . However, a new report indicates that many consumers wouldn't use the device even if it was available right now. A recent survey of ... 1,000 Americans found that only one in ten people would wear Google Glass technology on a regular basis. The survey, which was carried out by Bite Interactive, found that many Americans feel the device is "too socially awkward." SNL Skewers Google Glass Not helping the situation: a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch that ridiculed the ... (view more)

The high-tech glasses that allow wearers to view navigation data and record video won't be available to the wider public for another year. According to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, Google Glass won't reach the market until sometime in ... 2014. "We've just started distributing it to the first developers," Schmidt recently noted in an interview with the BBC. "It's fair to say there will be thousands in use over the months and there will be changes made based on feedback. But it's fair to say it's a year-ish away." (Source: computerworld.com ) That's disappointing news given the ... (view more)

Hardware manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) plans to begin adding motion control sensors to some of its computers. Although it will initially be aimed at gamers, the motion control technology could allow for some other high-tech uses, including ... remote surgery. The technology is from Leap Motion, which already produces a standalone accessory that plugs into computers. HP says it will begin bundling the accessory with some new computers shortly. It will then release computers with the technology built-in later this year. In the long run, it's possible HP will use the technology in other devices ... (view more)